In-form Pedrosa cuts Lorenzo's lead at top of championship after win in Malaysia

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UPDATED:

10:48 GMT, 21 October 2012

Dani Pedrosa put on a wet-weather master class to capture a rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday and keep the pressure on MotoGP championship leader Jorge Lorenzo after notching a fifth victory in six races.

The Spanish Honda rider was clear of the field after 13 of the scheduled 20 laps at a rain-swept Sepang International Circuit when the race was red-flagged because of dangerous conditions.

Pole-sitter Lorenzo held on to second place on his Yamaha as conditions deteriorated with world champion Casey Stoner crossing the line in third place on another Honda.

Champagne moment: Dani Pedrosa (left) celebrates winning in Malaysia

With torrential rain continung to lash the circuit, the race could not be re-started, giving Pedrosa his first victory in Malaysia as the Spaniard continued his audacious late-season title push.

The win enabled Pedrosa (307) to cut fellow Spaniard Lorenzo's (330) lead in the championship standings to 23 points with two more races remaining and a maximum of 50 points available.

Pedrosa started behind Lorenzo in what was declared a wet race but was soon breathing down the 2010 world champion's neck as the pair pulled clear of the pack.

In front: Pedrosa (right) saw off the challenge of Jorge Lorenzo

The 27-year-old snatched the lead just past the scheduled halfway point and never looked like being challenged by Lorenzo as several riders behind the leaders crashed out on the slippery surface.

Lorenzo was lucky to survive a heavy wobble seconds before the race was red-flagged as his bike threatened to lose control at the hairpin before the home straight.

Australia's Stoner recorded his first podium finish since returning from an ankle surgery in August while Ducati's Nicky Hayden finished fourth, ahead of team mate Valentino Rossi.

Pedrosa further closes gap on Lorenzo after claiming crucial victory in Japan

PUBLISHED:

11:39 GMT, 14 October 2012

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UPDATED:

11:39 GMT, 14 October 2012

Dani Pedrosa further closed the gap on Spanish compatriot Jorge Lorenzo at the top of the MotoGP standings after claiming victory in Japan on Sunday.

The in-form Pedrosa, who saw pole snatched away from him by Lorenzo late in yesterday's qualifying session, claimed his fourth victory in his last five races after finishing just ahead of Lorenzo and another Spaniard Alvaro Bautista on the Motegi circuit.

Pedrosa's triumph, his fifth of the season, means the Repsol Honda rider is now 28 points behind pace-setter Lorenzo, who continued his hugely impressive campaign which has seen him finish in the top two of every race except for Assen when he failed to finish.

Pedrosa said: 'It was a hard race because the pace was very fast from the beginning. I tried to understand the bike, as yesterday we had a lot of chatter so I didn't know how it would be today. In the beginning it wasn't too bad but then it got a little worse during the race.'

The 27-year-old rued the fact that no other rider could keep up with him and Lorenzo and possibly deny his title rival some valuable points.

'We did what we needed to do and it's just a pity that there is no one else who can stay with us because every race I win, he's been second. But anyway, it's a great feeling to win races and we are doing it now,' he added.

Australian Casey Stoner was fifth in his first race back since ankle surgery, finishing behind Andrea Dovizioso.

Reigning MotoGP champion Stoner is third in the overall standings, 85 points behind Pedrosa, with Italian Dovizioso a further five points back in fourth heading into the final three races of the season.

Meanwhile, there was a British victory in the Moto3 in Motegi as 18-year-old Danny Kent claimed his maiden victory.

Dani Pedrosa claimed a crucial win in his battle for the MotoGP world title with a thrilling victory at Sunday's Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno.

The Repsol Honda rider got the better of Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo on the very last corner of the race to take his third win of the season.

The Spaniard now trails Lorenzo by just 13 points in the riders' standings with six races remaining.

Winner: Dani Pedrosa won a gripping race

Third place went to Cal Crutchlow, marking the first time a Briton has finished on the podium at this level since Jeremy McWilliams at the 2000 British Grand Prix.

Crutchlow, who signed a new one-year contract extension with Tech 3 Yamaha on Saturday, has threatened to land his maiden podium finish on several occasions this season and was delighted to finally get the job done.

'I am elated, and we have proved a lot of people wrong. We have finally got there,' he told BBC Sport.

Podium boys: Jorge Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow

'There has been a lot of pressure on me to do it all season and hopefully I can continue it now.'

Pole-sitter
Lorenzo held the lead off the start from Pedrosa, with Crutchlow
dropping quickly to third place from his career-best second on the grid.

The front two soon pulled away from the Briton and diced all the way to the flag. Matters came to a head on the final lap when Lorenzo muscled past Pedrosa only for the Honda rider to hit back.

There was nothing between the two as they went into the final turn, but it was Pedrosa who found the better drive out of the corner to take a thrilling win by just 0.178 seconds ahead of his compatriot.

Meanwhile, British World Superbike rider Jonathan Rea is poised to step up to the premier class after it was confirmed that he will join up with Repsol Honda for both Monday's test at Brno and the two-day test at Aragon on September 4-5.

The Northern Irishman is poised to ride for the team at the next two rounds in Misano and Aragon as the replacement for Pedrosa's team-mate, reigning champion Casey Stoner, who has returned to Australia for surgery on the ankle he badly injured in an accident at Indianapolis last weekend.

Lorenzo completes Italian job as Yamaha rider stretches lead at top after Mugello win

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UPDATED:

15:13 GMT, 15 July 2012

Jorge Lorenzo further increased his advantage at the top of the MotoGP standings with a convincing victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

The Spaniard (Yamaha) claimed his fifth victory in nine rounds this season after finishing over five seconds clear of countryman Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), with Italian Andrea Dovizioso third on his Monster Yamaha.

Spain's Jorge Lorenzo delighted his home fans as he extended his lead in the MotoGP World Championship standings with a battling victory in the Catalunya Grand Prix.

The Yamaha rider started from second place behind title rival Casey Stoner but was pushed hardest for the victory by the Australian's Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa, who profited from a dream getaway at the start to take a well-earned second place.

With Stoner finishing fourth, Lorenzo extended his lead in the riders' standings to 20 points heading into the British round at Silverstone in a fortnight.

Tech 3 Yamaha's Andrea Dovizioso produced a sterling ride to claim the final podium place a fraction ahead of Stoner, with the Italian's British team-mate Cal Crutchlow having to settle for fifth after starting the race from a career-best third place.

'It was a very tough race. It was hot and very complicated,' Lorenzo told BBC Sport.

'I waited my opportunity. With Dani he raced very close and I didn't want to touch him, so I waited for one mistake from him to take my opportunity.'

Silver lining: Lorenzo celebrates his victory on home soil

Pole-sitter Stoner, Lorenzo and Crutchlow failed to make their most of their front-row berths at the start as Pedrosa and the second factory Yamaha of Ben Spies blasted through to lead the pack into turn one.

Spies, who is under pressure to turn in better performances at Yamaha, attempted to take the lead on lap three but ran wide and ended on his side in the gravel.

The American mounted a solid recovery ride to take 10th at the flag, although a podium was surely there for the taking had he made the pass stick.

The race instead came down to a straight duel between Pedrosa and Lorenzo, the two Spaniards putting on a great show for their fans at the Barcelona circuit.

On track: Lorenzo battled the hot conditions to secure victory

Lorenzo got the run on Pedrosa to take the lead on the entry to the first turn on lap seven but the Honda man was able to hit the front again with 14 laps remaining.

Lorenzo ran wide to allow Dovizioso to briefly threaten his hold on second, but the 2010 champion pulled clear of the Italian and with six laps to go passed Pedrosa to take the lead for good and his third win in five races this season.

Pedrosa, who now trails Lorenzo by 30 points in the standings, admitted his frustration at failing to register his first win of the campaign.

Lorenzo back on top after riding to MotoGP victory in the wet at Le Mans

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UPDATED:

15:15 GMT, 20 May 2012

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo returned to the top of the MotoGP standings after an impressive performance in testing conditions at Le Mans.

The 2010 world champion continued his fine to start to the season by claiming victory in the rain at the French Grand Prix to follow up his opening-day success in Qatar and his second-placed finishes at Spain and Portugal.

The Yamaha Factory Racing rider finished almost 10 seconds ahead of Italian star Valentino Rossi, who recorded his best result since 2010 by taking second on the hitherto troublesome Ducati.

Rossi finished third in France last year – his best result of the 2011 season.

Third spot was claimed by reigning champion Casey Stoner, who on Thursday surprised the sport by announcing he would be retiring at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old Australian had won the last two races in Spain and Portugal but he lost top spot in the overall standings to Lorenzo following the race, with the Spaniard now eight points clear at the summit.

Wet, wet, wet: Lorenzo (centre) leads the pack at the start of the MotoGP

In third spot overall is Lorenzo's countryman Dani Pedrosa, who pipped Stoner for pole but could only finish fourth and is now 17 points behind the Repsol Honda rider in the classification.

Britain's Cal Crutchlow and his Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Andrea Dovizioso had to settle for eighth and seventh places respectively after both suffered falls while battling for a podium place with Rossi.